THE return of the Nokia 3310 brings back many memories not only to me, but also to other people, especially journalists, reporters and editors.
The praises heaped on the original Finnish handphone, particularly its long-lasting battery and long-talk time proved to be a boon for journalists.
Its affordability, easier messaging system and the beloved snake game took many journalists through the long hours of their job. It was small enough that you could slip it into your pocket, purse or handbag.
The handphone, in essence, has become an extension of a journalist in addition to his pen, notebook and tape recorder.
The handphone of today is packed with tonnes of apps, which makes journalists and the common man recall how life used to be before its invention.
No, we (journalists and reporters) were not sending out smoke signals to get our communication through.
For decades, the fixed phone line, telegram, telex, teleprinter and wire scanner were the tools used by news organisations, reporters and journalists to send their stories and pictures.
However, in the early 1990s, it was the briefcase-sized GSM ATUR phones utilising the 011 line by Telekom Malaysia which saw changes being rung in. Despite this “mobile” phone being the ultimate status symbol then, journalists did not embrace it wholeheartedly due to its high costs.
Rather, it was the pager which was the fastest tool of communication for journalists.
You know when your news editor sent out a message such as “Call the desk now” or “where are you? Call the desk”, sure kena would be the reply from the reporter to his colleagues from other publications.
This was before one rushed off to look for a public phone booth, which also took some time, as one needed to find one that worked.
The call to the news room was a stomach-churning one, as we were not sure what instructions or hammering awaited at the other side of the receiver.
A call cost 10 sen and a bunch of coins was essential, especially if the conversation was with your news editor. More so, if it involved briefing him on the latest update.
The introduction of pre-paid cards was a godsend. No more bulging pockets of coins.
The only journalist who actually had a mobile phone was the night-crime man.
The crime desk journalist would be the only one equipped with the humongous so-called mobile phone, which due to its size, battery charger and adapter, always required a backpack for it to be lugged around in order to call from the crime or accident scene.
It was quite a hardy device. On one occasion, I was at the receiving end from a colleague and she threw the device at me.
It missed me and hit the wall behind me, breaking into pieces. The horror on the faces of my other colleagues was soon replaced with amazement when she assembled the pieces together and the phone was still working.
Smartphones, eat your heart out. When it comes to being hardy and tough, it was the old handphones which fared better.
As companies began offering better service and handphones became more affordable, reporters and journalists began migrating to the new communication device and the pager’s value and importance went from a must-have device to a paper weight.
The then mobile phones only had voice call and SMS functions.
There was no Internet-enabled services, no Google, no camera, no video, no map, no WhatsApp or Telegram. Thinking back now, I wonder how I managed.
Yes, everything the reporter and journalist did then was through the long and hard way. It built character, independence and made us creative.
This included finding the location of our assignment. There was no Google Maps or Waze to help us find our way. It was done the old-fashioned way — you asked for directions from everybody and anybody.
The excuse that you could not find your location was not exactly encouraged.
At the end of the assignment, you called your desk manager to brief him on the stories, as well as the angling required.
No search engine to check your facts then, and if you got your facts wrong, you knew there would be a hot reception from your boss when you saw him face to face.
You also had to go to the office to file your story. Your SMSes... let’s just say they are not your WhatsApp and Telegram, were not a practical way to send your stories or briefs. You had to call your boss to brief him.
Fast forward to two decades later and there is the smart- phone.
Its functionality and use for a journalists and reporters is like having an office in your pocket. It also saw speed, inter-connectivity and multiplatforming as being essential in a journalist’s phone.
Finding your assignment’s location via Waze or Google Maps, sending your stories and pictures via social media platform apps such as WhatsApp and Telegram and other innovative approaches have somewhat eased a journalist’s job.
However, they have also made his job more challenging.
The smartphone of today has seen the journalist evolve from a mere writer to an all-encompassing media practitioner in the form of a writer, photographer, videographer, broadcast journalist, online writer and many others.
It has also increased our headaches!
I don’t think Alexander Graham Bell would have ever imagined that his creation would have made such an impact not only on journalists but also on the common man, who because of the smartphone are also doubling up as citizen journalists, whether they realise it or not.
Just look at the postings on Youtube, Facebook and other social media sites.
B. Suresh Ram is a curious cat who believes that his curiosity is going to get the better of him one day. This Perak-born Tottenham Hotspurs supporter has two decades of journalism under his belt. He can be reached via sureshnst@gmail.com